TECHNOLOGY
Published:July 3, 2026
Affected Company:U.S. Department of Energy
Three Nuclear Startups Reach Reactor Milestone Ahead of July 4
Three US nuclear startups have activated new reactor designs under a federal pilot program, though experts caution the prototypes remain far from commercial power generation.
Three nuclear startups turned on new reactor designs this week as part of a Department of Energy pilot program aimed at jumpstarting what officials call America's "nuclear renaissance." The milestone follows an executive order deadline pushing companies toward reaching criticality by early July.
Despite the symbolic win, experts note these are test reactors, not commercial products, and warn regulatory hurdles and high costs still separate these prototypes from real-world power generation.